"So how long has it been going on for?" Nigel spat, stood behind a large maple desk decorated only with an overpriced lamp and a black folder.
His height was exaggerated as the two young men slouched in their already low chairs before him, heads pointing to the ground. The large grandfather clock struck eight o'clock in the morning, accompanied by the deadly summer sun piercing its way through the blinds.
Gary's head pounded. His stomach turned. He felt as though he and Rob had switched bodies for a while; Rob becoming the fresh-faced quiet one, whilst Gary was nurturing a terrible hangover and groaning quietly to himself.
"Nothing is going on." Rob spoke with a sigh.
"What do you mean; 'Nothing is going on'? You were kissing like a pair of fucking queers!" He screeched, Gary wincing at his suddenly high tone.
"Nothing is going on." Rob repeated.
"We'd been drinking, if you can't tell." Gary grumbled.
The pair were sat in the same clothes as yesterday, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes apparent to all three men as it sat in the air stubbornly, refusing to be replaced by the fresh morning air that circled in through the large windows. They were refused time enough to shower, and had been marched from the hotel to Nigel's office without even being allowed to brush their teeth, only adding to the pungent aroma that clawed at the back of Gary's throat.
"That doesn't answer my question." Nigel said, barely audible as his thin patience was wearing out. "How long has it been going on for?!" He bellowed this time causing the two men to jump in their seats.
"We just kissed, we were drunk and it just happened." Rob pleaded.
"We're not together, in any way." Gary added.
The pair watched as Nigel slammed his chubby fists on to his desk, a large groan erupting from him as his patience with the pair's excuses drew to an end.
"You're damn right you aren't." He spoke in a low growl, his eyes closed and his hands curled into fists on his desk. "Do not communicate with one another until I grant you permission to do so. If the press catch on to this, we're done." He said. "But thankfully," His face rose into a sadistic smile as he took a long exhale in, "You have me as a manager."
Three months later
It was November, Gary and Rob hadn't made contact with each other since August and Take That were "taking a break to relax with their families" before the press tour for their Christmas album began.
Rob had brought a house in Manchester following Nigel's orders to do so, and had been sat waiting for his call for two hours. He was down to his last cigarette when the call eventually came.
"Geri is waiting for you in Carluccio's. Go there now."
Rob sighed, shoved his wallet, phone and keys into his pocket and made his way to Carluccio's, a five minute walk from where he lived.
As soon as he left the gates at the bottom of his long drive his path was crowded with photographers, their shouts resembled the calls of a flock of seagulls as they followed him and his two security guards all the way to the cafe, where they were pushed aside and their path was finally blocked by the brick wall of a man paid to protect Rob.
Rob slid in through the door into a quiet cafe and made his way over to Geri Halliwell, member of popular girl band Spice Girls. She sat sideways waiting, wearing a revealing crop top and mini skirt, her tanned legs crossed over one another to accent a pair of white six inch heels.
"Geri." Rob grumbled, throwing himself roughly into the chair opposite her.
"Their are paparazzi outside and that's how you greet me?" She whispered, the side of her face visible to the seagulls outside she covered with a newspaper.
Rob rolled his eyes. He lifted himself up off his chair and leaned across the small white table, granting his 'girlfriend' a passionless kiss on the cheek. She smiled, taking his hands as he sat back down and stroking the back of them with her long fingers.
"Nige's boys will be joining them soon, and when they do, you'd better stick to the script." She whispered again under her breath, only audible to her and the uncomfortable young man sat opposite.
He nodded with a discreet scowl, before beckoning the waitress to attend to his order. She plodded over nervously from the other side of the cafe, shaking hands scribbling the orders of her teen crush and running off immediately to see to his requests.
Two months had this love affair been going on, Rob and his female counterpart only ever communicating when Nigel asked them to. He had his own unrecognisable 'photographers' who worked behind the scenes for Take That, catch photographs of the pretend couple doing exactly as Nigel asked them to. It was usually a staged kiss on the cheek or very corner of the mouth, or they would force a laugh and Geri would throw herself into Rob's chest. She was a delightful actress and one Nigel was extremely pleased about, and so he had them be together in a serious relationship rather than picturing Rob with a different supermodel every couple of days as he had done in September.
"They're here." Geri nodded her head towards three men who stood aside from the larger group, pointing their cameras at the couple inside. "That's your cue."
Rob winced, pretending to take a sip of coffee to hide his disgust as he slipped his visible hand from the girl's knee, slowly up towards her upper thigh where he held it long enough for the photographers to catch it.
He whined internally as he removed it, allowing his mind to wander to Gary. He had been sat alone in his large home for the better part of three months surrounded by every newspaper and magazine that featured Rob, puffing on Marlboro and inhaling the scent of his love with a sad sigh.
